Eze 18:1 The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,
2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge?
3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
“The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge”
We could paraphrase that proverb like this: “Adam sinned, and we all are sold under sin. We are all merely sinners, and we can’t help ourselves. As bitter as the bondage to sin is, none of us are perfect, and I can’t help it that God made me this way. I have the genetic disposition to be a drunkard because my father was a drunkard, and his father was a drunkard. I have the genetic disposition to be a whoremonger, an adulterer, a fornicator, a homosexual, a drug addict. I can’t help it if I am this way. I don’t want to be this way, but there you have it. I am condemned to this kind of life.”
Adam’s sin has been the occasion over the millennia for mankind to justify his wayward bent, in effect telling the Almighty God that Satan is more powerful than the Creator. In essence, those who hold to the premise of this proverb in Ezekiel are saying that Satan can hold a person captive to sin, and God can’t free them from their sin. There are a lot of Christians who unwittingly use this proverb by speaking of “Generational curses”, and as a result acknowledge that Satan’s hold on an individual is greater than the Blood of Jesus Christ’s ability to deliver. Outside of Christ, we can be certain that the sins of the fathers will be visited upon the children – but Christ shed His Blood to free us from the curse. Speaking of the birth of the Messiah, the angel told Joseph that he should take Mary for his wife;
Mat 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
The angel told Joseph that this One Named Jesus (Yeshua) would save His people FROM their sins, not IN or DESPITE their sins!
Eze 18:3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.
The Almighty God declared that He was taking the excuses away from His people. No longer would they be able to point at anyone but themselves as being at fault for their sins. This proverb was mentioned in Jeremiah as well:
Jer 31:29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
Again, in Ezekiel God declares:
Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
There has been a type of theology that has been embraced by many people who have a form of godliness but who deny the Power thereof which has replaced the Truth of the Scriptures with a lie, and has resulted in millions, maybe billions of professing Christians walking and living their lives according to another gospel, which is not a radically different gospel, but has enough leaven in it that it steers people away from the Truth of the Gospel. It doesn’t matter to me how well known a preacher or a prophet or a theologian may be; the Word of God is True! If God sent an angel to tell Joseph that Jesus would save (deliver) His people FROM their sins, then that’s that! The word translated as “from” is the Greek word “apo” – which, among other definitions, means:
1b) of separation of a part from the whole
1b1) where of a whole some part is taken
1c) of any kind of separation of one thing from another by which the union or fellowship of the two is destroyed(Thayer’s lexicon)
Jesus’ Mission was to come and save His people in such a way that the union or fellowship between them and sin would be destroyed! We can’t afford to listen to humanist centered arguments and philosophies that try to redefine what God has said and promised in His Word just because it doesn’t line up with their personal self-absorbed experience. None of us have been designated by God to redefine His Word so that it appeals to today’s generations. The gospel being preached from many pulpits today is NOT the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached. Rather than being Christ centered, it is a man centered gospel, designed to keep people captive to their sin, rather than freeing them from their sin.
The humanist gospel says “I KNOW what Mark 16:15-18 says, but I haven’t cast out any devils lately, nor have I laid my hands on the sick and seen them healed. I haven’t spoken with new tongues, and I got violently sick the other day when I ate some bad food; therefore, I can deduce from my personal experience that those things passed away with the last of the apostles. Because these verses no longer pertain to us, we will implement programs, hire psychologists, and sing the praises of great medical breakthroughs. We will help people focus on their inherited shortcomings, or tell them they can’t help it that they are in bondage. We will scratch their ears and give them medications for their sin. Of course we will do all these things in the Name of Jesus Christ, and pepper our programs and counseling sessions with ‘Jesus’. We will make sure that our congregation understands that anyone who speaks in tongues are of the devil, or emotional outbursts, because we don’t need such foolishness as tongues in OUR church!”
The humanist gospel says “The times are different than they were in the days of the Bible. People can go overboard with their dedication to God. We don’t need to be so adamant on what the Bible says…I personally find the message of Hell to be offensive and unpopular (After all, I can’t see how a loving God would really condemn people to Hell) so I will redefine what the Bible says about Hell and Torment. I will convince people that Hell is speaking about total annihilation! Since a loving God wouldn’t condemn any one to Hell, there must be actually several paths that lead to heaven. So I will preach a gospel of universalism.”
Of course there will be some who don’t want to admit that they are preaching a gospel of universalism, so they will teach that “Yes, Jesus Christ is the ONLY way to make it to heaven, but once you pray the prayer, it doesn’t matter what you do after that, because He will save you unconditionally. Since you prayed that prayer, God understands that you are just a human, and now you have a license to sin.” Some denominations will insist that the promise only applies to their denomination alone. “As long as you are a member of the church, and prayed the prayer, or as long as you confess to the priest, and do penance, you will be forgiven. “
The humanist gospel says “I realize the Bible says that we are not to set our affections on the things of this world, but unless I have lots of money, I won’t be able to preach the gospel like I want to, or go to the places I want to go. Unless I have lots of money, I won’t be as comfortable as I want to be. Unless I have lots of money, I won’t be able to properly glorify the God that I serve. It is not right that the people who live ungodly lives should prosper, while Christians live in simplicity, so I will ignore the passages that mention being content with such things as you have, and preach a message that tells people what they want to hear…that Christians are meant to be rich! I will sell them a multi-level marketing gospel, redefining ‘Give and it shall be given to you,’ and appeal to their greed by promising them all a hundred fold return for the money they give to my ministry.
The humanist gospel says “I realize that the Bible says that sin has no dominion over the believer in Romans 6:14, and that it commands us to be Holy as God is Holy (Leviticus 11:44, 19:2, 20:7; 1 Pet 1:15), and that I need to strive for perfection (Gen 17:1; Deu 18:13; 2 Cor 7:1; Phil 3:12-15) but I always find myself falling into the same sins over and over again, therefore I will have to redefine what these perplexing passages mean; and I will coin the phrase that we are just sinners saved by Grace. It’s Adam’s fault that I am what I am!” Or “I can’t help it if God made me this way!”
People are trained to focus on what Adam did, and fail to realize that the Bible speaks of another Adam…Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:45). As the first Adam sinned, so all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God, and because the wages of sin is death, death reigned from Adam on. Yet the Bible explicitly tells us that Jesus Christ, as the last Adam (1 Cor 15:45) came to give us an abundant life (John 10:10), victory over sin (1 Jn 5:4), and the ability to live righteously in Christ.
Rom 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
The humanist gospel that has infiltrated the Church has caused professing Christians to walk in unbelief and defeat by explaining away the Word of God with feel good messages, and self serving ideologies. By coming into the world, Jesus Christ took away the excuses. The Gospel of Jesus Christ calls men everywhere to repent, not to just say a prayer and go on with life as usual!
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that we are to live a simple life, separate from the enticements of this world. If I am setting my affections on the things of this world, then I am being covetous, and I need to repent of my covetous ways (Col:3:1-6). It isn’t God’s fault that I am covetous. If I am covetous, I have bought a lie.
2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ says that He has enabled me to walk before Him in Righteousness. If I don’t walk soberly, righteously, and godly, then it isn’t God’s fault; in His Grace, His Word has taught me how to do that. I simply need to repent.
Tit 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ says that He has enabled me to resist the temptations of the enemy of my soul. If I don’t resist the temptations that the devil puts in my path, it’s not God’s fault. He has provided the Way to resist. His Holy Spirit has given me a conscience. I KNOW when what I am about to do is wrong. It is up to me to repent.
2Pe 2:9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
I believe His Word. His Word is Truth! Let’s propose in our hearts to follow His Word, and not the humanism that has crept into the Church! It is Faith in His Word and obedience to His Word that enables us to live victoriously in this life. Jesus warned about a broad road that leads to eternal damnation. The “prayer” doesn’t qualify you to be on the narrow road to eternal life…it is whether you choose to walk down that road or not.
Jer 31:29 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.
30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Eze 18:5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right,
6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;
8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.